>> that's going to do it for us. thanks so much for joining us. >> we'll see you at 6:00. getting out. new evacuations ordered as new fires explode across seven states, threatening thousands of homes. tonight flames getting dangerously close to some famous cities and towns. warning signs amid a staggering new look at lyme disease. tonight what's behind the big rise and what you should be on the lookout for. a survivor. a 12-year-old girl talks about the moment she was attacked by a bear and how she got away. the latest in an alarming string of attacks. and fatherhood. prince william opens up about being a new dad, diaper duty and high anxiety over this moment with the whole world watching. "nightly news" begins now.

this is n brks krr"nbc nightly brian williams. >> good evening. i'm lester holt sitting in for brian. reinforce mts are on tonight for firefighters trying to save thousands of homes from a massive infer no still burning in central idaho. it's the biggest and most dangerous of more than three dozen wildfires. late word is they're now burning in eight western states. fr for those on the fire lines, the conditions couldn't be worse and the stakes couldn't be higher. the fire in idaho threatening at least three communities, and thousands have had to leave their homes. nbc's miguel almaguer was with firefighters on the front lines for part of the day. he's pulled back now to safer ground in nearby hailey, idaho in order to talk to us. miguel? >> reporter: this is the perfect fuel. fire loves these steep terrains. it really explodes out of

control when it hits a hill like this. so much of this hill was covered with waist-high debris and brush. when it hit this fire, it took off. tonight idaho's beaver creek fire is the most dangerous, most explosive blaze in the nation with no sign of slowing down. it's moving in multiple directions. 160 square miles swallowed by flames so far. >> this fire has been very active and very aggressive. it's a perfect fire storm. >> reporter: the inferno, now just a mile away from more than 5,000 homes. >> with the extended drought, it's been hot, it's been dry. >> reporter: firefighters call this an erratic and aggressive blaze whipped by 30-mile-an-hour winds. 1200 firefighters are on the ground. more resources on the way. crews on the front lines have had little sleep. this back-breaking work is going around the clock. across the west, 41 uncontained

wildfires are raging, 32 of them sparked by lightning like this one in central california threatening 400 homes. in the last 24 hours, 600 lightning strikes in this region have crews on their heels. >> the concerns are certainly just the erratic conditions out here and the erratic fire behavior. >> reporter: with drought conditions burning fires hotter and faster than ever before, crews face new challenges, protecting homes encroaching on dense forest land. >> it's a lot of narrow gulches in these areas. just incredible action by our fire crews trying to save those structures. >> reporter: for many fire season is not only heating up but just beginning. firefighters are making progress. this blaze is nearly 10% contained. the bad news, the winds are picking up and so much of this mountainside has been scorched, and those that haven't been is ripe to burn.

lester? >> miguel, thank you. now to another big story we're fighting tonight, the out of control situation in egypt. word of two awful massacres there and an increasingly precarious situation in the united states, forcing defense secretary chuck hagel to admit today there is not much the u.s. can do. our chief correspondent richard engle joins us from cairo. richard? >> good evening, lester. secretary hagel says this is after all a sovereign nation and it's up to egyptians to sort this out. egyptian officials we spoke to said they don't believe washington has an accurate picture of what's going on here. egypt's government says this tragic scene is what the world doesn't understand about its controversial crackdown. the remains flown to cairo tonight of 25 policemen executed in the sinai this morning. the government says they were unarmed and off duty. victims of suspected is lalamic

extremists. mustafa ganzi, an adviser, says they've unleashed terrorists in benghazi. >> this is the result of having to oust the president, and those are people defending their own political views. >> reporter: in kcairo, there i now deep tension and mistrust. most shops closed even before the nighttime curfew. we have lost the joy of life. we are afraid. we are all depressed, said one woman. even so, at one of the few cakc cafes still open, they told us their thoughts. >> we're fighting a war. this is not against islam. >> reporter: many egyptians say washington, before it cuts aid, should remember that millions took to the streets last june to

call on the army to expel the elected president mohamed morsi for trying to impose an islamic agenda. but human rights groups say the army has taken what it considered to be a green light. in refrigerated trucks today were the bodies of 36 prisoners suffocated by tear gas. police fired into a locked vehicle. the government says these muslim brotherhood supporters were trying to escape. and in another twist, a cairo court today ordered the release of egypt's former president mubarak. his lawyer says he could be out this week, but it seems unlikely. >> richard engle who has been on the ground since the start of this war in cairo. richard, thanks. yet another awful weekend under deadly fire. six people were killed, including 20 others, along with a 7-year-old boy, were injured

across the city of chicago. there have been 249 murders in chicago so far this year. down from last year, but still a serious problem, and it's being felt beyond the city limits. tonight we take our cameras to the front lines. a hospital e.r. where the doctors and other caregivers are making a difference between life and death of some of the victims of the violence. we have this report. >> 38-year-old male stabbing. >> reporter: saturday night advocate crisis medical center's er in oak lawn. 7 traumas in two hours. two shootings, a stabbing and an assault. >> put the tourniquet on him. >> reporter: dr. james daugherty is head of the trauma department on hour 13 of a 24-hour shift. he's worried about a teenager who was shot in the head. >> the bullet fragment is still

in there. >> the bullet is gone. i don't see the bullet fragment at all, so i think it came in and hit, cracked the skull and probably bounced out. >> reporter: the number of doas here is quadruple in three years. but if they reach the doors alive, the survival rate is 97%. >> he has a lot of injuries. >> when you do something a lot, you get good at it. >> reporter: but it's getting harder. >> he's still pouring stuff out of there. >> throw the kitchen sink at him and see what happens. >> reporter: trauma surgeon emmett olny is treating 35 patients including one from indiana with 28 bullet wounds. >> we're definitely seeing more people who are covered in bullets. i mean, 28? i would have to say that's close to the highest that i've seen, but i think 32 was the highest. and it's really just chance to what it hits or what it doesn't hit. >> reporter: last year the staff saw nearly 1100 gunshot and stabbing victims.

>> we'll get through it. okay? have a good night, guys. >> reporter: every night they witness the changing nature of the violence. >> there is no rules anymore, it seems like, with the pattern of violence. it's just random five-year-olds getting shot. that really hits you hard. >> reporter: for some on the staff, it's been life changing. >> it's unforgettable what i've seen in this e.r. >> reporter: medical technician lowana hudson grew up on chicago's south side and raised two sons there. >> when i wake up in the morning, i just thank god that i am waking up and nothing has happened to me or my loved ones. >> reporter: cherishing life as they save the lives of others. john yang, nbc news, oak lawn, illinois. >> we have just learned new details about that horrific limousine fire in california that killed five women, friends who were celebrating a wedding and got trapped in the back. officials say the deadly fire was sparked by a mechanical problem, a failure of the rear

suspension system. four other friends and the limo driver survived. you remember the driver had first thought one of the women who knocked on the partition window was asking if she could smoke. he'll pay a fine for having too many passengers in the car but won't face any other charges. in san diego tonight, it looks like the situation involving embattled mayor bob filner may be nearing a tipping point. he's out of therapy, but there's been no sign amid city hall amid a flurry of sexual harassment allegations and an effort to recall him from office. instead our station from san diego reports that filner spent the day in a closed door meeting with city leaders and his accusers, among others. no word on the outcome of that meeting. important health news tonight about lyme disease. it turns out it is way more common than even the experts knew. tonight the cdc says 300,000 people get lyme disease each year from deer ticks.

that's ten times more than the cdc had previously counted, partly because not all cases are reported. nearly all those 300,000 cases are in the northeast and upper midwest. nbc's chief editor nancy steinman is here with what you need to know about lyme disease, and please help us understand this big jump. >> i think for a lot of us it wasn't that surprising, because for years we probably recognized we underdiagnosed this and the cdc today says they're looking at new ways to figure out how many cases are in this country. and it does give credence and credibility to patients who over the years have said they had symptoms, and frankly, doctors haven't known how to put those into any kind of bucket or category. when doctors can't do that well, they don't diagnose well. >> some mimic other illnesses but some are specific. what are they? >> the classic is that bull's eye rash. when you see it, it is a central point with a bull's eye, and that happens 24 to 46 hours after a bite. then flu-like symptoms.

fever, aches, pains, headaches. then sometimes muscle aches and joint aches and that's when it can be misdiagnosed as arthritis. but remember, the tick bite doesn't mean you'll get lyme disease. the black-legged tick has to be on you for 26 to 48 hours to affect you. you can't infect another person. if you do see a tick, get it out with fine-nose tweezers. if you're out and about, do a self-body tick check. if you do have symptoms, it's time to talk to your doctor about antibiotics. just because you get a tick bite doesn't mean you need antibiotics. if you have symptoms, then you get antibiotics. >> how do you prevent the exposure to the ticks since they're so plentiful? >> one of the things, just do the basics we talked about. wear light clothing, pull your socks up over your legs, and for kids who are playing out this time of year, cut the grass, separate your backyard from longer grass or the woods with gravel or wood chips.

the whole thing is to minimize exposure ahead of time, and when your kids come in from playing outside, kids or grandkids, have them strip and look over their entire bodies. ticks like warm areas. and it's important to get those ticks off within a day. >> important information. nancy, thank you. there's more information about recognizing and treating lyme disease on our website, nbcnightlynews.com. still ahead, an alarming number of bear attacks. a 12-year-old girl the seventh victim in a week. tonight how she survived and why so many attacks are happening now. later, family portrait. new private photos of prince george as his dad opens up about fatherhood and who stays up when the little prince isn't in the mood to sleep.

a 12-year-old girl told nbc news tonight she thought sthehes a goner when she went out for a jog and was attacked by a bear. she's one of five people attacked by bears in the past week. why such close encounters between humans and bears? here's nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: it was a heart-stopping discovery in naples, florida. a black bear who had torn into a screened-in porch sleeping on the tile floor. >> i couldn't believe my eyes. i had never seen a bear that big. >> reporter: fortunately the bear woke up and left. but across the country, bears have attacked nearly 7 people in the past week.

in northern alaska, a national guard helicopter had to rescue a hunter on saturday who survived 36 hours after being mauled by a bear. in wyoming, two hikers suffered minor injuries after being attacked by a grizzly and her can you be. -- cub. a camper in colorado was taektd last week. in idaho, two hikers survived, one bitten by the leg. and in the past week, a 12-year-old girl was bitten by a bear while jogging. >> this is it. i'm not going to see my family ever again, i'm not going to see my soccer team or any of my friends. i'm a goner. >> reporter: she tried to run away but the bear caught her. then she said she played dead and the bear walked away. contrary to conventional wisdom, many bear attacks aren't about protecting a cub. a 2011 university of calgary study found in 88% of fatal bear attacks, the bear was acting as a predator, viewing humans as food. researchers say if bears have

grown up near humans, they're far less likely to attack. this bear recently showed up at the nbc news offices here in washington. increasingly urban sprawl and local recreation are bringing humans and bears together. >> they're active with their cubs, they're looking for food and preparing for winter to come and hibernate. >> reporter: in colorado, this bear walked into a bar, while another literally tried to walk off with the restaurant's dumpster. close encounters a little too close for comfort. tom costello, nbc news, washington. >> the national park service has some recommendations on what to do and what not to do if you encounter a bear. we've put that information on our website. we're back in a moment with a pair of new twists in the a-rod saga that played out on live tv.

the olympic blade runner oscar pistorius shed some tears today. he was back in court and formally charged with premeditated murder for allegedly shooting and killing his girlfriend on valentine's

day, and now there's a date for the trial, march 3rd. there was new drama tonight of the showdown between yankees star alex rodriguez and major league baseball, and it all played out before millions this morning on "the "today" show." tonight stephanie goss joins us with the latest. stephanie? >> reporter: alex rodriguez gets to keep playing while they decide to suspend him 211 games for doping, but while they wait for the appeal to end, there is sometimes a nasty back and forth between rodriguez, major league baseball and the new york yankees. in an interview with matt lowry, his attorney said he couldn't say whether the performer took performance-enhancing drugs because of an agreement with the league. but when they said they would waive the confidentiality agreement, he had no immediate response. later today he issued a statement calling the letter a publicity stunt and a trap and a

breach of the players association agreement. all of this the day after a-rod was hit by a pitch during his first at-bat with the red sox in fenway, an incident that announcers said looked deliberate. his third at-bat, a-rod hit it out of the park. drama on and off the field. lester? >> stephanie, thank you. as that saga continues with a-rod now at war with the yankees and management no longer talking to him, an attempt to instill honesty while players are young and at a place where the game is so much simpler. all players and all teams in the little league world series are wearing shoulder patches that say, i won't cheat. they've been around for a few years, but needless to say, they're attracting a bit more attention these days. when we come back, prince william opens up about being a new dad and how kate and baby george are doing now.

finally tonight, just because you're second in line to the british throne doesn't mean you get out of diaper duty. that's just one of the things we learned today as prince william opened up in his first interview since becoming a new dad. we get more now from nbc's michelle kozinski in london. >> reporter: tomorrow's front pages already out tonight in

london. just like any family photos, questionable lighting and the dogs. and true, william and kate do-it-yourself style, these new pictures of baby george were taken at kate's parents' place by her father. >> we've all grown up differently to other generations, and i very much feel like if i can do it myself, i want to do it myself. >> reporter: and he has. during this little prince's first foray outside the maternity ward straight into the public eye. >> i was on such a high, and so was katherine, about george, that we wanted to show him off to anyone who wanted to see him. >> reporter: he admits that master fully smooth putting into the car seat and the drive, he practiced. >> i was so afraid i wouldn't pull it off smoothly. >> reporter: he knows what's required of him. no wonder the royal couple so relishes getting away from all

this into the cozy privacy of kate's hometown. prince william, whose mother diana made sure his childhood was as normal as possible full of outings, games and opportunities for him and his brother to just be boys, said he and catherine want the same for george. for william, that includes changing diapers. >> i did the first nappy. i had every midwife saying, you do it, do you it. >> reporter: he says kate is handling it like a pro. >> she's doing a fantastic job. i'm looking forward to going back to work. >> reporter: a picture for the family. for the future king prince william calls -- >> he's a little bit of a rascal. >> reporter: michelle kozinski, nbc news, london. that's our broadcast for this monday night. thanks for being with us. i'm lester holt for brian williams. we hope to see you tomorrow evening. good night, everyone.

nbc bay area news starts now. thanks for joining us. i'm janelle wang. >> we begin with new details in that limo fire on the san mateo bridge. investigators say it was a tragic accident. no criminal charges will be filed. chris, there were some critical new information that we discovered today. >> reporter: well, hi, there. what they're saying is that it was a failure in the suspension system that allowed the bottom

of the drive shaft to hit creating enough friction that the fire started in the flammable material that the women were sitting on in those seats. the coroner says they died of smoke inhalation that they likely died nearly instantly. among the frantic 911 calls on may 4, the night of the deadly limousine fire were the voices of survivors and that of orville ricky brown, the driver of the limousine who told the dispatcher he didn't know how many people were trapped inside. >> i don't know, ma'am. i don't know. i don't know. >> i understand. you don't know. that's okay. we have people on the way. >> reporter: though there have been questions about whether that driver was on the phone during the fire, they said he